Social Media

For young people struggling to embrace their identity, online astrology forums can be a safe space. The use of social media has taken astrology to new heights. Quizzes, guides and other articles written around the Zodiac signs tend to be a running theme on young media sites like Buzzfeed, babe and Refinery29, which are widely circulated on social media platforms.

Facebook groups are popular for users interested in a particular topic, and some of the more dedicated groups can foster a sense of community. Enter “the stars say you’re a loser,” one of the largest and most active astrology communities on Facebook. With 7,000+ members and thousands more added each month, it’s hard to believe that it has only been around for a year.

#RelationshipGoals can serve as a positive standard to set relationships to — but also pose as a risk for unhealthy comparisons

Couples with vast followings on social media can project a flawless image of what a relationship looks like. Physical attractiveness. Health and fitness. Luxury. But social media users’ potential overexposure to these seemingly-effortless relationships on millions of’ timelines could be raising the standards for relationships.

EAST LANSING, Mich. — During Halloween in 2016, Sharon Thomas, a human biology major at University of Michigan, was walking through the neighborhood of Cedar Village around 8 p.m. when a man called her from across the street. “He said, ‘Hey, baby, you look fine,’ then he ran over to me from across the road,” said Thomas. “I didn’t really register what he was doing at the moment.”

Thomas said the man ran up to her and grabbed her waist while complimenting her. She pushed him away physically, but she couldn’t get him out of her mind.

After The New York Times published a stunning article saying Hollywood Producer Harvey Weinstein has been sexually abusing various Hollywood actresses and models throughout his career, the discussion of sexual assault has surfaced to the front page news. The article stated that Weinstein, popular for movies like Django Unchained and Gangs of New York reached many settlements with women who accused him of sexual abuse. Actress Ashley Judd came out criticizing the producer saying he sexually assaulted her when she was a young, eager actress trying to break into the business. Judd is not the only actress that has come forward. Since then, actresses like Gwyneth Paltrow, Angelina Jolie, Kate Beckinsale and 54 others have come forward with stories about Weinstein’s abuse. Alyssa Milano, popular for her role on King of Queens and Saved By The Bell posted on Twitter “If you’ve been sexually harassed or assaulted write ‘me too’ as a reply to this tweet.”

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. — Traverse City held the 13th consecutive Traverse City Film Festival July 25-30. The annual Northern Michigan festival, which began in 2005, had around 120,000 attendees this year. Meg Weichman, creative director at TCFF, says, “With the addition of new venues, as well as word getting out about what a great festival we have, we have seen both community and regional support, as well as national interest increase.”

Weichman says, “The TCFF is something Traverse City is very proud of. It is a true example of our community coming together to create something magical and special for our area, not only in terms of economic impact, but cultural and social as well.

In the era of social media in this digital age, everyone have some type of social account. From parents, friends, even your favorite brands have a page. On platforms such as Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and more are getting smarter on how to gain more consumers. Michigan State student Kevin Nichols can adhere to the social media marketing. “I follow certain brands on Instagram as well fashion blogs, to get ideas,” said Nichols.

Donald Trump is winning the Facebook popularity race as of 11 a.m. with his two posts receiving more than double the likes than Clinton’s six posts. Since the polls opened at 7 a.m., Trump has had over 102,000 shares, 527,000 likes, and 40,000 comments. With Clinton having over 45,000 shares, 241,000 likes, and 11,000 comments. Despite the fact Clinton has posted more than the Republican candidate, Trump’s two posts have had significantly more positive social media attention. With Trump leading the social media race on Facebook all week, his total likes surpassing Clinton’s by two million.

It’s 7 p.m. on an early October evening and tensions are high as parents, teachers and students fill the school board meeting room at Holt High School’s North Campus. After several minutes of discussion, Executive Director of Curriculum and Staff Development Dr. Ruth Riddle addressed the growing crowd. “Based on our internal data, we projected being down about 50 students and we’re right on target with our budget projections,” she said. According to information gathered from MISchoolData.org, which publishes student count rates, there were 5,803 students in Holt Public Schools during the 2013-14 school year. The district saw a loss of 87 students in the next year, dropping to 5,716.

How do you stay updated on the latest things happening near you? For some Grand Ledgers, whether it is business or pleasure, they have adapted to the social media era and a city Facebook page was created. Mayor Kalmin Smith created the page two years ago hoping that the page would “benefit the community by improving communication about the many positive and beneficial activities that affect the quality of life in our town,” said Smith. Its purpose was to provide an additional tool for communication within the community. “Fewer and fewer people read newspapers and television and radio are really not reliable for coverage of the Grand Ledge community,” said Smith.

Special Projects

EAST LANSING, Michigan — For years, men and women have struggled with the idea of finding the right shade of beauty for their skin and having it fit to their complexion and skin type. There has always been a debate between drugstore makeup companies like Maybelline and Covergirl compared to high-brand cosmetic companies like […]

Matt St. Germain strives to bring some positivity into this world and others’ news feeds St. Germain is a master’s student at Michigan State University. He makes it a priority to inspire and influence others. Spartan Newsroom: Please tell us a little bit about yourself, your background, interests and goals? Matt St. Germain: I am […]

The challenge of leaving home to pursue a career in collegiate cross country has been difficult for Robert “Bobby” Crowley. Crowley, 18, was born in Carlow, Ireland. The freshman ran cross country at Knochbeg College before coming to the U.S. and enrolling at Michigan State University. For Crowley, he has witnessed significant culture change.

Aug. 1, until the middle of November. January until May. And three weeks off in July. Any die-hard football fan knows why I left out December. This is the life of a college football coach. For me, it’s all too familiar. It’s also the life of my dad. Ron Burton’s coaching experience Graduate assistant coach (1992-93) […]

From non-profits and local community members to city advisors and corporations, there is a lot going on in and around East Lansing to improve sustainability and access to recycling. Vast improvement in these areas is no easy feat, but people at all levels of the community are working to increase access to going greener.